


kingly gift

by 님 (nymmiah)



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Fantasia Potion, Gen, Haurchefant/WoL mutual pining if you squint, Nonbinary Au Ra Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Unnamed Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:01:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25806286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nymmiah/pseuds/%EB%8B%98
Summary: Haurchefant’s reaction to the Warrior’s change in appearance was rather lacklustre, all things considered.
Relationships: Alphinaud Leveilleur & Warrior of Light, Haurchefant Greystone & Alphinaud Leveilleur, Haurchefant Greystone & Warrior of Light
Kudos: 17





	kingly gift

When the Warrior of Light returned to Camp Dragonhead, Haurchefant was… flummoxed, mayhap was the word.

He had been expecting a female au ra of middling height whose head barely reached the crest of his clavicle--and yet now before him stood a decidedly  _ ambiguous  _ au ra, whose height towered over even his own.

Large horns, larger than they had been before, curved most viciously before the Warrior's countenance to frame it in a most imposing bronze. The Warrior was also far more broad in a way they had never been before, and their eyes glowed with a most vivid green light. Subtle curves yet lay beneath their clothes; the slightest flair of the hip, a hint of classic femininity underneath their newly masculine appearance.

They looked most different. They also looked most lovely, a previously-unseen confidence now radiating from every facet of their countenance.

Haurchefant stared up at the Warrior, wonder and awe warring with his surprise.

"Warrior." Haurchefant greeted belatedly.

They looked at him, quiet yet with a hint of wariness.

”Lord Haurchefant," was the quiet reply. Their voice, no longer so fluty in pitch, was now as if a lake: deep yet unassumingly so.

"You seem to be doing most well, my friend!" He exclaimed. He smiled gently at the Warrior. "My, it seems that in your absence, only the Warrior has grown in height! I should have thought that you’d grow at least an ilm by now, Commander Leveilleur…”

Beside the au ra, Alphinaud Leveilleur sputtered in what had to be outrage, and Haurchefant let out a mirthful laugh.

"I jest, I jest! You've grown at least a few ilms since last I saw you, Commander," Haurchefant remarked warmly. "Pray, seat yourselves by the hearth! I should most like to hear what exploits you and yours have gotten up to since we last met," he bade, gesturing for them to take their seats. "Reports from all four corners of Eorzea suggested that an assault against all of the Castrums had been conducted by all three parties of the Eorzean Alliance--but if you don't mind me asking, to what end?"

The young elezen seemed glad to seize the opportunity to expound upon the Scions’ clever plan to remove Garlean influence from the heart of Eorzea, and in the process, eliminate the threat that they posed with their allagan-based weapon, Ultima.

Through it all, the Warrior seemed most relieved, their countenance lightening as Alphinaud spoke and Haurchefant listened with rapt attention, praising the young Leveilleur for the cunning of his plan.

It was… not particularly strange, this change in appearance in the Warrior. They were yet as magnificent as they had ever been, a figure of awe and divine strength that Haurchefant admired most deeply. They were familiar in their smiles, the quicksilver gleam of their brilliant eyes and the silence of their speech.

The sole explanation for the drastic change in the Warrior's appearance could be that curious fantasia potion, exotic and exorbitantly expensive. Not even a king's ransom could afford one such a potion, and it certainly explained why the Warrior had not experienced such a change earlier: they must have been gathering the funds or means to purchase such an item.

Haurchefant could only feel glad that they had been awarded the luck of securing such an elusive draught, that they could outwardly be whom they were within.

Bells passed as Alphinaud continued to talk about their fascinating exploits across the land, his speech eventually laced with lethargy.

It would not be long until the boy sagged forward in his seat, keeling over from his exhaustion.

"The hour is late, and I daresay we should retire to our quarters lest the morrow arrives before we know it!" Haurchefant announced, interrupting the young elezen ere he could speak upon that most fascinating discovery of allagan ruins near Mor Dhona, a tower built solely of crystal. He smiled winsomely. "We may continue with your tales tomorrow, Commander Alphinaud. I would be a most ungracious host if I kept you in my office any longer to sate my desire to learn more of your journeys."

“I must admit—I had noticed not the time. It certainly would be remiss of me as a guest to force us to remain up for much longer merely to catch up on the events that happened since we last met,” Alphinaud replied.

It bespoke much of Alphinaud’s condition that he argued not. The boy seemed fond of argumentation, after all, and Haurchefant had to suppress the urge to laugh at how obediently he behaved when tired.

It was a farcry from the opinionated and logical commander that he was so used to. By the look on the Warrior’s face, they too found amusement in Alphinaud’s demure and reluctant concession to belay their talk.

Chivvying the boy from his seat, Haurchefant glanced over once more at the Warrior, who yet watched him with eyes wary.

They stood slowly, joining Haurchefant as he led Alphinaud towards the door.

"It was an utmost delight to have spent mine evening listening to you and Commander Alphinaud’s deeds,” Haurchefant remarked directly to his dearest friend. He then smiled to soften his following words, saying in jest, "Mayhap we could hear of your thoughts in the morrow in the stead of the young commander, perchance?"

Alphinaud's countenance flushed pink at the gentle jibe, retorting with as much dignity as he could afford, "I have certainly offered our Warrior here many a chance to speak, should they so choose to!"

The Warrior smiled, teeth sharp and pearly against the rich olive hues of their skin. "Nay, I needn't say more when you have already filled the air," they murmured quietly.

Haurchefant burst into peals of laughter as Alphinaud swelled up with such righteous offense, though it was belied by his blue eyes all the brighter with mirth.

And so, with a jovial air and much joy did Haurchefant see them to the meagre and modest guest quarters of Camp Dragonhead, bidding the boy and the Warrior a good night’s rest.

Alphinaud stumbled towards one of the beds, claiming it by falling upon the covers without changing out of his clothes nor pulling the covers back.

The Warrior lingered at the doorway, turning their eyes to the side in an uncharacteristic display of hesitance.

“It truly is good to see you so hale and hearty, my friend,” Haurchefant said quietly, such that Alphinaud would not easily overhear his words. “You look marvellous—simply and justly  _ fantastic. _ You are the very image of who you are and what you are. Who should I thank, that the Warrior of Light is now so perfectly figured?”

Surprise was evident upon their countenance, the slightest hint of red appearing upon their cheeks at his suffused praise.

After a moment, they stated, “Minfilia.”

Haurchefant smiled. “I shall have to pen her a letter posthaste—thanking her most profusely. It would be rather lacking to call it merely a kingly gift that she bestowed upon you. Entire nations would not have the wealth to pay for such a thing.”

A snort of laughter left the Warrior. “That is unnecessary. I have thanked her already.”

“And so, she shall be thanked a second time!” Haurchefant replied. “I cannot express enough the gratitude I feel on your behalf for the service she has rendered!”

The Warrior lowered their head, a smile playing upon their lips. “Then you should thank yourself, Haurchefant. You have been most kind.”

Kindness was the least he could do for the greatest friend he could ever have; one who had saved Ishgard many times over, despite having not set a single foot within her walls.

“If that is your wish, then I shall be sure to speak words of gratitude to the looking glass,” Haurchefant said in jest, smiling when it elicited a soft laugh from the au ra. “Now, the hour does draw late, and you have had to travel far to come to Dragonhead. Pray, take repose. I shall like to hear about this Crystal Tower of yours in the morn.”

“Of course,” the Warrior’s response came quietly. “I shall not allow Alphinaud to be the only one to speak, in that case.”

“I am still awake.” Alphinaud’s voice came from behind them, rather irately. “And I am most capable of hearing your every word.”

“Well… I shall not keep you up for longer.” Haurchefant reached out, taking hold of the Warrior’s hand. Though larger than it had been in the past, it remained smaller than his own, delicate despite the claws tipping their fingers. Squeezing their hand, he murmured, “May Halone continue to watch over you and your dreams tonight, Warrior.”

“Sleep well, Haurchefant. Spirits be with you,” they replied, far more hesitantly. “... I will see you in the morrow.” They pulled their fingers out of his, and turned to close the door rapidly.

Unfortunately, their tail was caught on the door, and a variety of curses—common Eorzean and a foreign language alike—spewed from their lips, and the door was slammed shut with far less force the second time.

Haurchefant could not stop his mirth at the awkward manner of their dismissal, and even as he walked away to his own quarters, he could hear the sound of Alphinaud’s laughter and the Warrior’s hisses.

In the morrow, he would hear their voices once more to paint stories of their adventures, but for now...

The Warrior’s hand had been soft in his, and it was to this thought that he met the oblivion of his dreams.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a ton of headcanons and stupid ideas about various things in canon. With the Fantasia Potion, I couldn’t decide if people just don’t notice that you’ve changed race/genders, if people don’t care, or if the potion actually just retcons the entire history of that one character. 
> 
> Also, Minfilia used her Hydaelyn-given credit card to buy the WoL a Fantasia. There’s no other reason why she could have given the Fantasia otherwise.


End file.
